Have you ever wondered how some of these Hollywood actors build incredible, jaw-dropping physiques to get ready to play superheroes?
In this article, I’m going to show you exactly how you too can achieve a movie star body. Now we are going to hone in on one of my favorite Hollywood bodies – and that belongs to Ryan Reynolds.
Ryan Reynolds is absolutely crushing it these days with the Dead Pool movies. Funny enough, I first got really into Reynolds work back in 2009.
He was hilarious with amazing comedic timing. But it was really the combination of his acting and incredible physique that drew me in.
Now, let’s discuss exactly how you can achieve a lean and chiselled physique like Ryan Reynolds.
First off, it’s important to note that the strategy Hollywood actors utilize to get into amazing shape is very different than what you will read online or the advice you will get from a bodybuilder or personal trainer.
You see, Hollywood actors don’t care about gaining 20 lbs or squatting 400 lbs. What they do care about is how their physique will look on the movie screen.
No one knows how much they squat or how much they weigh. The only thing they know is how their physique pop on the screen – whether they are wearing a tight shirt, a leather jacket, a superhero suit or if they are completely shirtless.
This means the focus is purely on making their physique look incredible on camera. This comes down to achieving a low body fat so their muscles are incredibly hard and defined. As well, it comes down to adding muscle in a specific proportion so their physique looks the most impressive.
Ryan Reynolds Dead Pool Physique
It’s very clear that the muscle group that Ryan Reynolds put the greatest attention to is his shoulders. They are incredibly well developed – full, rounded and rock hard.
It’s his shoulder development that really makes his physique pop in an aesthetic and unique way. Secondly, he has absolutely incredible ab development.
Whenever he is shirtless his abs just look like blocks. Funny enough, Ryan Reynolds has been accused, falsely of course, of having prosthetic abs.
Trust me, they are real and you can build incredible abs too – it’s just going to take hard work and the right strategy.
Now it’s also important to note that Ryan Reynolds is at a very low body fat. In fact, I estimate him to be somewhere around 7-7.5% body fat. This is incredibly lean and very few people are even close to this level of leanness.
The Ryan Reynolds Workout Routine
The best lifting strategy to utilize is called reverse pyramid training. This allows you to build incredible muscle density by targeting myofibrillar hypertrophy. Instead of pumping your muscles up with light weights and high reps, which builds more fluid in the muscle. It’s best to focus on lifting heavy and getting strong in the 4-10 rep range.
This will build bigger muscle fibers and give your physique a hard and compact look – much like Ryan Reynolds in Deadpool.
For Reverse Pyramid Training you will perform your heaviest set first for 4-6 reps. Then rest 3 minutes and lower the weight and perform 6-8 reps. Finally, you will rest another 3 minutes, lower the weight and perform your final and third set for 8-10 reps.
I recommend lowering the weight about 10-15% after each set. So if you are lifting 50 lbs for your first set, you would do 45 lbs for your second set and 40 lbs for your third and final set. Here’s how it would look
Dumbbell Shoulder Press
50 lbs for 4-6 reps
45 lbs for 6-8 reps
40 lbs for 8-10 reps
Note – I recommend performing 2-3 warm-up sets with lighter weights and for 6-8 reps to warm up your muscles before going into your heavy set.
The other strategy we will be utilizing is rest pause training. This will help to further accelerate muscle growth when used correctly. I recommend utilizing rest pause training on isolation movements, like lateral raises or rear delt flyes.
For rest pause training you select a light weight you can perform for 15-20 reps. After finishing your first set (activation set) rest 10-15 seconds. Then perform 6-8 reps. Rest 10-15 seconds and perform another 6-8 reps. Continue until you’ve completed a total of one high rep set and four mini sets with 10-15 seconds rest in between.
For examples
Dumbbell Lateral Raises
15 lbs for 20 reps, 8 reps, 7 reps, 6 reps, 6 reps (10-15 seconds rest between sets)
The reason rest pause training is so effective is because the short rest period forces your body to always utilize maximum muscle fiber recruitment on each and every rep (not just the last few reps).
How to Build Abs Like Ryan Reynolds
It’s important to realize that the people in the world that have the best abs development are actually gymnasts. Once you begin training your abs like a gymnast would, that’s when you will see pretty damn amazing results.
The most effective exercise you can do for your abs or hanging knee raises. I recommend lifting your knees all the way up to your chest to hit your abs as hard as possible. For best results hold a light dumbbell between your feet.
Next, I recommend doing side to side knee raises that will further challenge your abs and really serve to develop the v lines on your lower abs.
Two sets of weighted knee raises and two sets of side to side knee raises will do an amazing job.
The Ryan Reynolds Workout for Great Shoulders and Abs
Seated Dumbbell Shoulder Press
Set 1 – 4-6 reps
Set 2 – 6-8 reps
Set 3 – 8-10 reps
Weighted Pull ups
Set 1 – 4-6 (heavy weight)
Set 2 – 6-8 (20-30 lbs lighter)
Set 3 – 8-10 (bodyweight)
Dumbbell Lateral Raises
15-20 reps + 6-8, 6-8, 6-8, 6-8
Weighted Hanging Knee Raises
2 sets of 8-15 reps
Side to Side Knee Raises
2 sets of 10-20 reps per side
Final Comments
Give this workout a try and you will experience amazing results. Your shoulders will start to pop out like crazy and your abs will become stronger and more defined. Each and every time you hit this workout you will be morphing your body closer and closer to that of a Hollywood movie star.
Now to really take your physique to a whole other level you need a full blown system. A full workout and nutrition plan to gain muscle in the right areas and allow you to strip off fat and get super lean.
That’s why I created the Warrior Shredding Program. This program has helped over 90 000 people all over the world go from skinny fat, bulky and super average to looking like a Hollywood movie star.
It’s a six-month program that covers the entire training program and nutrition plan to morph your body into incredible shape just like Ryan Reynolds.